- I'm not interested in vampires. Or werewolves. I'm not interested in them in a romantic sense, nor am I interested in thinking about their supernatural strengths. It's just not my thing.
- I don't want to fall in love with a male character from a novel. I'm already in love with J and would rather spend my time thinking about him. I want to be "Team J," and not "Team Edward" or "Team Jacob."
- I have read plenty of reviews of "Twilight" (my favorite being this one that my aunt wrote) and I can tell that the subject matter would bother me a lot. I know that I would loathe Bella's character. She seems like a completely incompetent female that only finds validation through male affection. I don't know if I could sympathize with her at all.
- I have read enough reviews to know that Stephanie Meyer's poor grammar, syntax, and overall writing style would drive me insane. (You can read one such review here). If I'm going to spend time reading, why not read something that is eloquently expressed? That's what I love about good literature: it can express the ineffable. If I come across something that's poorly written, I spend most of my brain-power editing and reworking the text.
- And here's my main reason: I don't want to read "Twilight" because it is so popular in Mormon culture. For me, reading "Twilight" would mean that I was giving in or accepting Mormon pop culture - and even worse, would mean that I'm participating in and fostering such culture. Does that make sense? "Twilight" is a symbol for something that I don't understand and that I don't want to be. I have to resist "Twilight" in order to make a broader statement about my cultural principles and standards. The reason why I don't like Mormon pop culture? It is rather nuanced and complex, but the bottom line is this: in my opinion, almost all the art, literature and music that is popular within Mormon culture is mediocre. I wholeheartedly admit it: I'm a snob. I wish that Mormons would show more interest in things that are eloquently written, beautifully expressed, or exquisitely rendered. If I read "Twilight," then I'm helping to encourage the low standard of Mormon pop culture, and I just can't do that. I know that I'm fighting a losing battle (it's me vs. Deseret Book), but I'm still holding my ground.
Friday, October 8, 2010
why i will not read 'twilight'
I've thought about writing this post several times, but I've put it off for a couple of reasons. One main reason is that I know that some of my readers really love the "Twilight" series, and I don't want anyone to feel offended by writing this post. I'm not trying to attack or belittle people; I simply want outline all of the reasons why I don't want to read the "Twilight" books. Really, this is more for my own sake, because I need to work out my complex aversion to the series. Then, the next time someone is shocked by the fact that I haven't read a smidgen of Stephanie Meyer's books, I'll be prepared with all of my reasons. Here you go:
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18 comments:
I'm laughing so heartily. Oh, so true. Genius! (And I wish I could remember more lyrics of Saturday's Warrior to quote here. Consider all the verses of "Daddy's Nose" and "Line upon Line" quoted now.) Also? Thanks for the shout-out. Further, you made me realize that at some point in the recent past Blogger unformatted about 100 of my old posts.
I love you (in case you didn't know).
I read "Twilight" and hated every single page of it.
My sister-in-law bought it for me for Christmas several years ago, so I read it. This was before the "craze" had hit, so when the craze came, I couldn't believe people didn't have the same reaction to it that I had. Have you ever seen the (ridiculous) movie, "Zoolander"? There's a part in it where one of the characters is frustrated because no one seems to see the obvious ridiculousness of a situation they're all in. He proclaims, "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!" since no one else seemed to "get it".
I felt the exact same way about "Twilight". Am I the ONLY one that thinks the books are awful?!
The grammar and writing style is horrific. The story is awful. Bella is this horrible, bratty, mean, self-centered, nasty character. How anyone could like her is beyond me. And, really, grown women with children wearing shirts saying "Team ____" is just pathetic.
Something that really bothered me about the series was that I heard countless women say they loved the books because it got them reading and they "never read" before. Who admits that publicly? But, more importantly, if you aren't a reader and you LOVED "Twilight" wouldn't that make you the least bit curious about true classics that are out there?
Finally, your point on LDS books/music/art being mediocre made me think of something that happened to me today.
I found in the attic of my home a frame that someone had left. I told a roommate I wanted to use the frame to put a picture in and they were shocked that I would want to remove the picture in it. Why? Because it was a picture of Greg Olsen's rendition of the Sacred Grove.
It's actually quite heartbreaking that that is considered beautiful art (is that mean?).
P.S. You know I agree with you 100 percent about the Mormon pop culture, but I figure that goes without saying. :)
Oh Mon- I totally agree with you.
Like e- I read the books before the craze wave hit and it was mainly b/c I was taking a 14 hour flight to Manilla and needed something to read. After I realized how badly written and flat the character were I stopped reading. My family still gawks at the fact I never read "Breaking Dawn"!!
Now to your last point... I struggle with this every day. I love my job but I really dislike "Mormon" art and I think a tiny bit of my soul dies when people tell me that Greg Olsen and Simon Dewey are thier favorite artists. There are so many amazing LDS artists like Brian Kershisnik and J. Kirk Richards that are still fighting for main stream recognition (ie: people (Deseret Book) actually buy thier art). I wish and pray that one day the LDS community will grow up and desire quality instead of craving quantity (doesn't that seem what Christ would do?)
that's for putting into words my thoughts exactly! i knew we were meant to be friends.
ha, i love it, m. you are so honest. thank you!! i read the first couple of books before the worldwide craze hit, and at first, i thought they were creative. i had never seen myself reading a book about vampires or werewolves either. but YES, bella is such an incredibly helpless weakling (get a GRIP, girl!) and the writing is terrible. anyway, i'm proud to say that our ward book club has never discussed any Twilight books. what is there to discuss???
and ditto to all these comments on the mainstream "mormon culture" art...too horrificly Thomas Kinkade-ish.
Haha! Interesting post. I agree with you on some of those. I am "team Taylor". I don't understand the fascination with teenage boys. I avoided the books for awhile and eventually I ended up reading them all. I didn't think I would like them but I actually did.
life is too short to read mediocre stuff. Here's a link you may like that says it's pornography- you can add that to your list. I haven't read the books, but have sen the movies. The only thing I think about books is that some who don't like to read will read stuff like that.
A link with quotes from church leaders, information about the world that is creating PG porn, and the Twilight series from an LDS author and much more! http://www.misfitcygnet.com/2010/08/mothers-who-should-know-better-lds-ark-culture-embraces-pornography/
Thanks for posting all your reasons even though I'm appalled and offended by all of it. J/K
I read the books and was sucked in enough (excuse the pun) that I read all 4. I'm sure I'll end up seeing all the movies too. They were absolutely ridiculous, but I enjoyed them for what they were.
I think that's just it though . . . being able to recognize something for what it is. You are absolutely right. So much Mormon Pop Culture (Mo-Pop) is mediocre. Truthfully, I still enjoy quite a bit of it though. I have a Greg Olsen print hanging in my house and I love listening to EFY music.
What saddens me is how many people within main stream Mo-Pop are blind to how much greatness there is elsewhere. As if the Deseret Book stamp of approval is what makes something fantastic. What a shame.
It's like food. I love peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and happily eat them several times a week. They are absolutely not culinary genius. I have tasted amazing seven course meals, international delicacies, and illegally delicious desserts. I'm not an amazing chef, but I can hold my own baking lemon meringue pies & grilling fajitas. And yet, quite often, I'm content with a PB&J. I'm not going to pretend it's something profound, because it isn't. But I like it nonetheless.
I hope you'll still be my friend. I know you like PB&J too. :)
And thanks to Alli for the shout out about the other LDS artists, whom I'd never heard of. I especially liked J.Kirk Richards paintings.
I LOATHE Twilight. Have I told that I think it is Sexist?
Thanks for the comments, friends!
Rebekah: Yes! J loved that you mentioned "Saturday's Warrior." I'm more than happy to give you a shout out. That post makes me laugh every time, especially the "doomedy doomed love" part. Ha! It is your post that's "genius."
e: I totally remember the "crazy pills" line. Ha! Yeah, I don't understand the pathetic "Twilight" fans. Tonight a friend and I were laughing about the silly lengths that some women will go because of their "Twilight" obsession. Luckily, though, I think (at least, I would hope) that most "Twilight" readers aren't trying to plan their vacations around anything related to "Twilight." (But remember how the Anniversary Inn has a "Twilight" themed room? I think that's going a little too far.)
alli: I'm glad you posted! I thought about you when writing this post (because of your job), but I knew you would understand where I'm coming from. I'm glad you mentioned Brian Kershisnik and J. Kirk Richards - they are great Mormon artists and I hope they continue to get recognition. I think Walter Rane has a lot of talent, too. It's good that you are at the Repartee Gallery - you're the one who has the power to help improve Mormon taste in art! (No pressure! Ha!)
m.m.: I knew it too! Ha!
joolee: I'm glad your ward group hasn't discussed the books. It sounds like there isn't too much to discuss anyway, unless you want to collectively swoon over Jacob or Edward. Ugh.
Melanie: Yay for "Team Taylor!" I love it.
Becky Rose: thanks for including that link. I've heard other people give the pornography argument, too. I haven't looked into that issue too deeply beforehand, just because I don't want to form judgments about (or offend!) my own friends who enjoy reading these books. But you have brought up a good point, and I think it is good to be aware that some people have been offended by the "Twilight" subject matter.
Carrie: I loved your comment! I really liked your PB&J analogy, and I know exactly what you mean. And I completely respect your opinion about the books. The thing I love about you most, though, is that you recognize that "Twilight" isn't the epitome of great literature or profundity. (And perhaps that sets you apart from several other "Twilight" readers? I don't know.) You have great taste in so many things, and I recognized that before I ever mentioned my complaints about "Twilight" to you (because I knew that you would understand). Yes: we can still be friends. (And eat PB&J together.) :)
Rachsticle: Read my aunt's post that I linked in the third bullet point. You'll love it.
I must stand up for the Twilight books a little here:
I was in the middle of my second year of law school when I read the first book. I had not read a book for pleasure in years at that point. I had to do so much reading for classes that books began to seem like leaden weights that only spoke of toil, hardship, and headaches. They might be awful books and poorly written, but I owe Stephanie Meyer for getting me out of my book funk. They reminded me of what it was like to get caught up in a story-- to disappear inside another world for a time. Now I love to read and I have much more of a discerning taste in books, but I can't say that I didn't enjoy that first Twilight novel.
Having an extended family that is completely 100% non-Mormon, I've noticed that in my experience, Twilight, although definitely gobbled up by Mormon culture, is also a wild craze among non-Mormon 14 year olds and soccer moms alike; ex: my 50 year old aunt and her 3 daughters.
The ONLY positive thing I've ever seen come from Twilight is what Rachael said- It managed to get non-readers out of a non-reading slump and into books again. One semester my ESL students had to read it (let's not discuss why or who determined that would be good "literature" for the semester), and several of the girls who once hated reading read 3 Twilight books in one summer. Though if those are the kinds of books people consider worthy of reading, I may have to reconsider that being a good thing!
I decided to read them once I moved to where I am now and, in an effort to make friends, joined a book club with some other women from Relief Society. (A couple of them are definitely obsessed!)
I tend to agree with the PB&J allegory comment. :) My rationalization for reading them was partially that I wanted to keep up with contemporary pop-culture (I wanted to know what the hype was about, and I wanted to understand all the references made in book club) and partially that I thought it would be an interesting academic exercise (I don't think a Mormon author has ever had such a wide audience - I wanted to know just how influenced they were by Mormon theology and/or culture.)
And yes - they are cheesy and campy and frequently cringe-inducing. Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy them - it's just more of an ironic appreciation. :) I also enjoy a good People magazine in the doctor's office waiting room, and that is about as far from great literature as you can get.
Rachael and ixoj: I've heard other people have gotten interested in reading because of "Twilight." I don't need motivation to read, though, so "Twilight" doesn't doesn't appeal to me for that reason. But I can see how it could appeal to others in that sense.
ixoj brought up a good point about how non-Mormon women also like to read "Twilight." I know that "Twilight" appeals to all kinds of people, and I hope that I didn't imply that this book is only popular in Mormon culture. But this book seems to have particular appeal to a lot of LDS readers (ahem, LDS women). (On a side note, I wonder why it is so popular with Mormon women. I don't think it's just the fact that Stephanie Meyer is Mormon. But that's perhaps a theory for another day.)
Jaime: How interesting that you viewed the book as an academic exercise (and wanted to learn more about pop culture through the book). I can totally see why you did that, and I understand what you mean about ironic appreciation. I'm also guilty about reading "People" magazine in the doctor's office - but if "People" was something ridiculously popular in Mormon culture, then I might avoid it too (just out of principle). :)
Um, oh my gosh I LOVE Zoolander.
Also, I'm one of the ward librarians and I had a discussion with a ward member just this past Sunday about Mormon "fine art." It came up because I took the initiative to recycle (without, gasp, asking a priesthood holder) a super lame book on the library shelves that was written in the 70's about women submitting, blah blah, you know the rest. We started taking about literature, theatre, music, art, etc. I'm a snob, I admit it. He wisely said it's okay to be an elitist but just try not to sound like one. I think that's good advice. He did also point out that there are some good things about fine art in Utah, though not necessarily Mormon, such as the Shakespeare Festival, the Utah Opera Festival, the Utah Symphony/Opera/Ballet, some good local theatres, Springville Art Museum, etc. He also mentioned that the Church hosts a triennial(?) art exhibit, which invites Mormon artists from all over the world. Some of the winning pieces are hung in Church buildings like the conference center, church office bldg, and even temples. A lot of the original pieces get bought up by attendees, which then gives one explanation as to why the pieces don't end up as prints at Deseret Book.
Anyway, the point of this long post and the 2 hour conversation I had with this wise, old man is to go ahead and be a fine art snob but don't make others feel crappy if they haven't had the opportunities to be exposed to all the beautiful things you've seen, but instead share it with them and try to expand there knowledge and appreciation. Also, he advised that it is essential to have original art in one's home if one can afford it . . .
I just committed the unpardonable sin of using "there" instead of "their."
*sigh*
Apparently I need to leave a zillion comments. Here a link to the Mormon art exhibit:
http://lds.org/churchhistory/museum/competition/1,16118,4091-1-,00.html
Thanks for the comment(s), ego non! I'm glad you're working in the library to help with "recycling efforts." That cracked me up.
I appreciated reading the advice that you got from the man in your ward. He sounds like a wise man.
And you are right - there is great visual art that is celebrated and used by the LDS church. I used to work with someone who was on the Art Advisory Committee (or something like that) for the Church. It seemed like the committee contains some very talented, accomplished, and educated members. There is some great art hanging in places like the Conference Center - I remember being struck by one large painting done by someone from the school of David (France, 18th century). And I do appreciate art competitions and exhibitions that are held by the Church History Museum. So there is good stuff out there, but like you said, it's not usually available through Deseret Book.
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